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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chip · temple · arm · date · game · wax · perch · suit

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. suit — in cards
  6. chip — for betting
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. date — the fruit
  9. chip — to eat
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. wax — to grow
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. game — wild animals
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. suit — to fit
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. perch — the fish
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. suit — clothes
  23. game — a match
  24. wax — in the ear

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com